Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd 2024 F.X. Pichler

Tasting Note Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd 2024

It offers aromas of white peach and grapefruit peel, with a wet-stone edge derived from the bedrock beneath Kellerberg. While the flavor is concentrated on the palate, its acidity gives it a sharp and intense character rather than a rich one. Smaragd's maturity is evident not in sweetness but in its weight. It is dry with a long finish, and a subtle saltiness is detectable in the aftertaste. Serve it chilled and allow it to breathe sufficiently.

Grape Varieties

This wine is made from a single grape variety:

Riesling. This variety captures the terroir better than almost any other, offering citrus fruit aromas, high acidity, and the mineral tension for which Kellerberg is famous.

Cellaring Potential

It is best enjoyed between 2028 and 2045. In this Riesling, acidity and extract play a key role in aging. Serve at 10-12°C, and let it breathe in a decanter for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to unfold more fully.

About F.X. Pichler

Reputations in the Wachau are built vineyard by vineyard, and the reputation of F.X. Pichler is founded on Kellerberg. The 1990 vintage of Riesling produced from that vineyard won comparative tastings in Paris, London and New York, and the winery has continued on a path of success ever since. Lucas Franz Pichler, the seventh-generation winemaker, has been in charge of winemaking since 2000. Starting with the 2020 vintage, the family has been adhering to the Wachau DAC regulations rather than the Vinea Wachau regulations, and began the process of obtaining organic certification in 2021.

Terroir & Climate

Kellerberg is a steep terraced vineyard. Gneiss and mica schist are exposed near the surface, causing the grapevine roots to extend all the way down to the bedrock; as a result, the wine exhibits a sense of tension rather than opulence. Above the Danube, the river helps moderate temperature fluctuations, and this is where Atlantic and Pannonian air currents converge. Thanks to this environment, Riesling ripens slowly, which is precisely why this wine has such pronounced acidity.

Winemaking

Harvesters make multiple trips up and down the Kellerberg terraced vineyards to pick grapes at different stages of ripeness. These terraced vineyards can only be worked by hand. At the winery, they deliberately adhere to a simple approach, using either stainless steel tanks or large, used oak barrels depending on the wine's characteristics. This is the key: nothing should interfere from the vineyard until the wine reaches the glass.

Food Pairing

Such robust acidity calls for flavorful foods to balance it out. Recommended pairings:

• Wiener Schnitzel: The squeeze of lemon on the veal harmonize with the citrus aromas in the glass
• Pike-perch from the Danube, with a butter sauce
• Roast pork belly with crackling
• A mild Thai green curry, where the fruitiness balances the heat of the chili peppers